A Brief Respite
by Freedom Kira
Summary: FE7, yaoi, Raven x Lucius. On the way to the final battle, two characters whose fates have been intertwined since long ago reminisce on their pasts and think about their futures, and how they were and will be connected.
1. Chapter 1

Written for motivational event _The Fanfiction Event_

Pairing: Raven x Lucius (FE7 – Blazing Sword)

The event is something I created. I intended it to make me do things I wouldn't be doing otherwise, and in this case, it's writing a yaoi fiction. I'm an open-minded (straight) guy, and I don't mind homosexual relationships, but I normally would avoid reading yaoi fictions. I thought that it might be good for me to get some experience writing them, though. I roped two girls into writing yuri fictions too; there was a third but I'm not sure what she wants to do with this.

I've always wanted to write a story in the same format as Gordon Korman's _No More Dead Dogs_. This book is written in first person, but each chapter is written from a different character's point of view (though it repeats; not every chapter is written from a new character's POV). You'll see what I mean from this story.

I should also warn that there are a few spoilers in this story, mostly pertaining to the character support conversations. If you haven't finished FE7 before, the setting description will also spoil the story a little.

My chapters aren't as long as Korman's chapters, but I think it'll pass. I split the story into four short chapters. I intended it to be a oneshot, though I realized it's kind of long with all four chapters in one. Though I guess it doesn't appear as long on the website… Whatever. Here we go.

--

ENTER… Lucius

The Dread Isle. I knew why people called it that, but it still scared me a little as I walked through the thick mist. It almost felt as though I wouldn't be returning alive.

It was already the second time we were visiting the island, all thanks to Captain Fargus's help. May the grace of St. Elimine be with his pirate crew. We were now trekking to defeat Nergal before he could call a dragon through the gate. I didn't really understand all the details myself, since I was not involved in any of the important conversations between Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector, Lady Lyndis, Lord Pent, Lady Louise, and Archsage Athos. I just knew we had to defeat Nergal.

I looked ahead to see the back of he who had been my comrade for most of my life. Raymond. Ever since he casted that name away for the nickname Raven, he seemed to have changed, but to me he was still Raymond. He still cared about the people around him and the people he considered family. I was glad to be able to convince him to look for the truth behind the attack on House Cornwell instead of blindly aiming his rage at House Ostia, but I felt like there was still something missing.

He stomped ahead now, several sword lengths in front of me, and through the thick fog I could just barely make out the image of his back, following the rest of the group. I scurried along behind him, trying not to lose my way. Every now and then he paused, and his head seemed to move every so slightly before continuing on his way. It was hard to tell.

As we walked, my thoughts kept turning to him. I'm glad he was such a caring person. I can understand why he wished revenge for his family, but to so quickly blame Ostia from the rumors he heard… I wasn't so sure if the Raymond I knew would have done that, but I didn't want to think about it.

A light gust of wind picked up and blew my hair into the air. A nearby branch happened to catch the billowing yellow strands in its unforgiving clutches. I tried yanking lightly, but to no avail. As I struggled, a silhouette of a person made its way towards me.

"Still loitering about, Lucius?" a gruff voice asked. I could tell it was Raymond. I looked up to meet his gaze. "You do that and we're going to get left behind," he continued. He took a look at my situation and sighed. "If you kept your hair shorter, I doubt this would happen. And maybe fewer people would mistake you to be female."

I continued struggling with my caught hair. "Lord Raymond, there is a reason why I keep my hair like this." I looked at him from the corner of my eye. "Why don't you help?"

Raymond chuckled. "With what? You want me to cut your hair?" To my dismay, he drew his sword. "Ready?"

I nearly screamed. "Stop! Lord Raymond, that is a cruel, cruel joke. If you must cut something, why don't you cut the branch instead?"

Raymond paused to think, and then chuckled again. "So you can walk around with a branch hanging from your head?" He sheathed his sword and grabbed his axe. My eyes widened, as he had started using axes not too long ago. I squeezed my eyes shut as he drew back for a swing.

I heard a snap, and opened my eyes. Raymond had ended up cutting through the branch just a blade's width from my hair. As if the branch was an actual hand, I was able to gently pull the rest of the branch from my hair. "Thank you, Lord Ray-" I stopped as I turned to him. He had already put away his axe and was following the rest of the group. I shook my head, and ran my hands through my hair to clear out the remaining twigs as I ran towards him.

--

A/N: This chapter mostly describes the setting. The game doesn't go into detail with regards to the party's movements, so I just made up the single file marching scenario. It works, right?

There are lots of references to the past of the characters. They're what I gathered from the game's support conversations, along with a few tidbits I added here and there to make things flow.

I was kinda lazy to do extensive beta reading before posting this, but my writing usually doesn't contain many typos, thankfully enough.

I won't bother naming every chapter. The chapters are too short to have any central idea anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

Here we are, chapter two. I had the entire story written out before uploading, so there's no delay between chapters.

I really hope this helps me get kick-started back into my ongoing fiction, which has been lying dormant for nearly two years now.

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ENTER… Raven

Some people call me a man of two faces. I'd say it's not entirely inaccurate, but I haven't always been this way. Ever since House Cornwell had been destroyed by some foreign force, I donned the name Raven and swore revenge. To this day, I still seek the heads of those who destroyed my family.

I briefly glanced back at the man who had been my companion for years. He once claimed to know me better than I know myself, and sometimes I felt like it was true. He was always ridiculed for having the appearance of a woman, and sometimes even I found myself thinking of him as one, but that's part of what makes him Lucius. I'm glad he always stayed by my side, and that he had managed to talk me out of my blind rage against Ostia.

He stumbled along, waving at me as if wanting me to stop. I wanted to hear none of his blabbering, so I looked on and continued on my way. Priscilla, on her horse, trotted along in front of me, and I could make out the vague outline of the rest of the group in front. The Lords Eliwood and Hector and Lady Lyndis led the way, but they were far enough ahead for me to be unable to see them through the fog.

As I stomped on, my thoughts wandered back to Lucius. He was an indispensable member of Cornwell's army, and stayed loyal to me always. To me, he was a valuable friend. He grew up in an orphanage, all alone. It was hard to think about, and sometimes my heart would hurt thinking about him in that situation. Cornwell took him in as a vassal, and the two of us had been close since. Priscilla had already been sent to Etruria for adoption by this time, so Lucius never had a chance to meet her until the two of us joined Eliwood's party.

Lucius was… a beautiful man. His face was that of a woman's… no, it was even more beautiful than that of a woman. From a distance, you would expect him to be one. Even when we were closer, sometimes my mind would wander towards that. Somehow I felt, perhaps, a longing for someone like him. He suggested to me before that I should get married, but I think I wouldn't be able to take more bickering than I had now.

I heard the trotting of the horse carrying Priscilla get louder and louder. I looked ahead to see that the group seemed to be slowing down, and that Priscilla now trotted along not very far from me. I increased my pace and caught up with her within seconds.

"Priscilla."

Priscilla turned to me with a slightly startled look. "Oh, Lord Brother. You surprised me."

"What's going on up there?" I asked.

"I think we're regrouping up there to rest," she replied. "We've been on the move for an hour now."

"I see."

"Lord Brother? How fare you?"

"I'm fine, Priscilla. Go on ahead; I'll catch up with you."

She looked me over. "Okay, Lord Brother. I'll be waiting." She turned and continued on, and I slowed my pace. I didn't particularly want to hear more of Lucius's bickering, but I figured I would have to put up with it sooner or later.

The mist was almost mesmerizing. It was so thick that it felt more difficult to breathe the slower I walked, with the lack of wind to blow the mist away. I looked back and found that he almost caught up to me.

--

A/N: Still no "action," but there are some suggestions. This ended up being even shorter than the previous chapter.

I wonder how many people will see the reference I made with Raven's comment that Lucius is a beautiful man. If you saw it, kudos to you.

It's hard to get into a character's head and try to think the way the character would think in the situations, especially with minor characters like Raven and Lucius who don't get much screen time in the game. Normally, if I had seen enough of a character, it's easier to get an idea of how to work with him/her, like the three Lords, or even someone like Serra. But here, I'm pretty much working completely from information I learned through support conversations.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, here's where the "action" starts for you fangirls out there.

--

ENTER… Lucius

Why does Raymond have to move so quickly? I could never seem to catch up to him. I shook my head, keeping my gaze towards the ground to avoid tripping.

I suppose this wasn't the first time I felt as if he were out of reach, as well. When I thought I knew him, he changed. Back when he took the name Raven, his outer image had suddenly changed, even though I knew that he was still the same gentle, caring man I had grown to love. I could never tell him so, though. I just always looked over him as a sort of guardian, no matter how annoying he found it.

I chuckled softly as I remembered one of our past conversations. Maybe I did jabber at him a little much. But would he actually never find a wife, just because he didn't want more jabbering? It would cross my mind occasionally, and each time I would wonder, and every time I couldn't figure it out. It was one part of him that I didn't understand.

I glanced up and noticed he was getting closer. He seemed to be moving more slowly than before. Gradually, as I moved closer, I began to see the others ahead of us as well. Was I moving faster now? I glanced back and saw the others behind me keeping up very easily. It didn't seem to be me; the others ahead must have stopped to regroup and take a break.

I approached Raymond gradually. When he was almost within arm's reach, I reached my arm out and began, "Lord Ray-"

Before I knew what had happened, Raymond turned and grabbed my arm, and pulled me into a fierce embrace, his lips pressed against mine. My eyes widened in surprise; I initially struggled for a couple seconds, but instead of resisting I fell into the moment, closed my eyes, and accepted the kiss, somehow lacking energy to resist, despite feeling slightly awkward for kissing another man.

Raymond was the one to pull away a bit. He kept me locked in his embrace, and my hands rested on his chest. I felt as if I couldn't move. His eyes opened and his gaze locked into mine.

"Lucius…" His voice trailed off.

"W-what are you doing, Lord Raymond?" I stuttered. The shock made it difficult to speak, much less move.

"Is this so bad?" He reached up and brushed my hair back, and stroked my cheek with his finger. I couldn't help but tremble. "Lucius, I love you."

Yet more shock. I found myself at a loss for words, but tried anyway. "Y-you love… m-me? I…"

"I know, you're a man too." His eyes narrowed. "Does it matter? Besides, I need no woman to jabber at me. You do enough of it yourself."

"B-but! Lord R-Raymond…" My voice trailed off.

He leaned forward and nipped at my ear. I trembled again, uncontrollably, as I melted into his embrace. I gave up trying to resist, and just closed my eyes. The man I had grown to love was here kissing me. I hadn't thought of being so intimate with him; we were more like close friends who practically shared a telepathic connection. Now that I think of it, maybe it's not so bad.

"Lord Raymond, I… love you too," I managed. My voice dropped to a whisper and shook a little less. "Is this… why you didn't want to marry?"

He pulled back and looked me in the eye. "At the moment, no, but now, yes, maybe this is a better idea. To be with someone who I know and who knows me, rather than waste time getting to know someone new." He leaned in for another kiss, and once again our lips met.

As he pulled back, I could feel tremors in his chest. His heart seemed to be beating wildly with excitement. He pulled me in, and I rested my head on his chest. I could clearly hear the thumping of his heartbeat. "Lo- I mean, Raymond, are you not worried about how people will see us?"

Raymond paused for a second before replying. "Not in particular. If you're with someone you're happy with, why would you worry about that?"

I closed my eyes and smiled. "Yes, you're right. At least we can agree on something like this."

We stayed that way for a few more moments. The other party members passed us, giving us awkward glances and then respectfully looking ahead. I didn't care anymore. If Raymond was with me, I felt as if I could do anything.

--

A/N: Hm, not bad. I kinda felt like this didn't have enough of that "action" material, so I kept going and wrote one more chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

This particular chapter was written on a day when I didn't really feel like writing. It still turned out okay, I guess, but I'm one who strives for quality work.

I guess this is how writers and manga artists feel when deadlines are approaching.

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ENTER… Raven

I ran my fingers through Lucius's long, soft hair for what felt like the hundredth time. But even so, I didn't get tired of it. He kept his hair even nicer than Priscilla's. Despite not having much time to rest on our journey, somehow he still found the time to care for it. I only hoped he didn't do it in the middle of fights.

I looked down at the head whose face was buried in my chest. If he were the one I was to be with forever, I guess I could take it. It would be better to just take the jabbering from him than to take it from two people. But even though I say that, I know he means well. It's just his way of caring for me, and deep down I'm happy for that.

I put my hand on his head and gently pushed him back, and he looked up to face me. "Lucius, we should go. They're all waiting."

He could only nod as he backed away and turned to start walking again. I stifled a chuckle; he seemed wobbly for a second. What exactly had made me do all that? I remember feeling light-headed. Maybe it was the thick fog that was affecting my thinking. I almost wanted to thank it for making me do what I normally wouldn't have been able to.

I checked around the ground to make sure we hadn't lost anything, and then proceeded to follow Lucius. I reached for his hand and grabbed it. He turned to me with a surprised look on his face, but accepted the invitation, linking his fingers between mine.

After a short while, we caught up with the rest of the party. Priscilla had dismounted her horse and stood at the edge of the group, looking for us. As we approached, she came and greeted us.

"Lord Brother!" she called, waving to us. "What made you take so long?"

We didn't reply until we were standing together. "Well, something… interesting, I guess," I said. "We…"

My voice trailed off as Priscilla saw our hands locked together. She brought one hand to her mouth in surprise. "Lord Brother? I didn't know you two were..."

I could see Lucius blush and look down. "Yeah. Priscilla, he's going to be your… brother-in-law of sorts," I explained. Lucius didn't seem to be able to say anything.

"But Lord Brother, the church of St. Elimine does not allow a man to wed a man!" Priscilla protested. "But if this is what you want…"

"It is what I want," I confirmed. "We might not get married, but I intend to spend the rest of my life with him when this is all over."

Priscilla was silent for a moment. She suddenly looked down, but I glimpsed a small sparkle in her eye. "Lord Brother… do you remember?"

I was momentarily confused. "Remember?" I thought for a second, and it hit me. "But that was from when we were small children!"

"It was… still a sacred promise to me, Lord Brother." Priscilla's sobs grew louder. "I…"

Lucius, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly spoke. "But Lady Priscilla, you know that the church of St. Elimine also does not allow a man to marry his sister."

I looked at him in surprise. Priscilla did as well. I could see the tears glistening on her face, and for a moment I felt regretful. "We'll live together after this war, okay?" she pleaded. "The three of us, together."

Lucius looked ready to protest, but I held him back by pulling on the hand that was still locked with his. "Yeah," I reassured her. "We'll be together, no matter what."

"That's a promise, Lord Brother." Priscilla turned and ran off back to her horse, wiping her tears away with her hands. I watched her go, and then turned to Lucius.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Lucius asked me. "I now feel like we're sinning twice as much."

"A sin is a sin," I replied, walking towards the group and pulling him along, looking for an open spot to sit. "Once you've sinned once, it's as bad as you can get. Stabbing a corpse will not make the body any more dead than it already is."

"But what about Lady Priscilla?"

"I can't leave my sister behind." I found a spot under a tree and sat, leaning against it. Lucius let go of my hand and sat in front of me, between my legs, which I stretched out into a V shape. "What do you want me to do, abandon her?"

Lucius leaned back to rest his head against my chest. "No, of course not. But it feels like you can't let go of her."

"Are you jealous?" I teasingly asked, wrapping my arms around his waist. "But I really can't leave her behind. She's the only sister... no, the only family I have left. And Lucius, she thinks of you as family too. This war brought us together, so it would be a waste if we went through all this only to separate again."

Lucius turned his body and got on his knees, facing me. His hands reached beside my head to rest against the tree trunk. He brought his face close to mine, so close I could feel his breath on my cheeks. "That special place in your heart then…" He leaned closer, eyes closing slowly.

"Belongs to you," I finished, just before his lips touched mine. I closed my eyes and let myself absorb his passion. His hands left the tree and wrapped around my neck, and his body pressed against mine. It was slightly cold, and his warmth felt almost intoxicating. His hands pressed against the back of my neck and I followed his cue. I leaned forward a little bit, and turned so that my back was no longer to the tree, and let myself fall backwards to the ground, still locked in the kiss.

Lucius pulled away and leaned on his hands, which now pushed against the ground. "Forever?" His full weight was pressed against my body, but he was so light that I hardly felt any pressure. "Forever and always?"

"Forever and always." His hands found mine, and we locked fingers. He positioned his body to lay down with his mouth on mine, and pressed his lips to mine again. I drank it in, the taste that I would taste time and time again, the feel of his body against mine that I would feel every night, and the tremors of excitement that we both shared in the moment and for the rest of our lives.

--

A/N: I think I concluded rather abruptly, but at least it's closed-ended for the most part. Sorry if the last paragraph is a little redundant…

This chapter ended up being about 40% longer than the previous ones. It kinda surprised me. I was aiming to conclude well and set the stage for the future so that the reader can conclude or get an idea of how things end up later.

If you are wondering what this "sacred promise" that Priscilla mentioned is, it is something from their support conversations. If you haven't unlocked it, you can read them on the Fire Emblem FAQs page on the GameFAQS website. It's the one called "Character Support FAQ." It's just not the same reading it online as reading it in the game, though, because the game at least adds some limited movements by the characters. Anyway, the reference appears in Priscilla's supports with Raven and Lucius, though it goes into more detail in Raven's support. With Lucius, Priscilla only mentions the sacred promise but you don't exactly learn what it is. It's a rather cute promise.

Well, there you have it, my second fiction ever written (and the first yaoi one). I don't know if I'll ever do that again, but I think it was a good learning experience for me. Just gotta remember that, in general, guys tend to like yuri for the same reasons that girls tend to like yaoi.


End file.
